The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1887-07-21
An Apache Ambus cade.
BY c. A. MAHONY.

Were yon ever In fight with Apache
Indians2 was in one and do not in the
slightest degree crave for repetition of
the experience. 1t took place in August,
1881, when Mana with his band of
Mescalero Apachcs were raiding and
desolating Grant, Dona and Socorro
counties in New Mexico. Before this
event the people had enjoyed few
months respite from the ravages Of. the
old chief Victorio, whom the alleged bad
faith of the government had driven on
the war path For two years and half
Victorio had set Colonel Hatch and his
colored Ninth cavalry at defiance, and
civilization and progress were arrested
by the scalding knife of the savage. In
that period 400 men, women and chill
dren were tortured, outraged and mur-
dered with that tiendish cruelty which
stamps the Apache as the most ruthless
and merciless of American Indians
In an evil day for himself, but a happy
one for New Mexico, Victorio ventured
to cross the Mexican border into the
State of Chihuahua. This Mexican state
has no maudlin sympathy for incarnate
fiends such as the Apaches. 1t puts a
price upon an Indians scalp the same as
upon that of wolf, and sufficiently
large to urge its soldiers to the greatest
activity. 1t was to the Mexicans under
General Luis Terrassas that the Terri
tory of New Mexico owed its temporary
relief from the raids of the Apaches. He
surprised Fictorio and his band in the
Costillos Mountains about eighty five
miles southwest of Ell Paso, killed most
of the braves, including Victorio, and
took forty-four squaws and children
prisoners.
Unfortunately, Nina, Victories lieu
tenant, and about twenty braves made
their escape. They were joined by a
number of renegades from the Mescalero
Apache agency, and with the advent of
the rainy season, which begins in'July
and ends with September, another Indian
war was lnaugurated Mana was a
younger and more active man than Vic
torio, and the rapidity of his movements
paralyzed the troops. A splendid In
dian, he stood five feet and eight inches
in height, well set, wiry and noted in the
tribe as a fleet runner He can outtravel
horse and keep it up for days together.
His daring raids in two months estab-
lished reign of terror throughout New
Mexico. The trains on the Southern Pa
cifc were guarded by troops, stages
ceased to run, freighting was stopped
and towns were as thoroughly cut off
from supplies as though they were under
going regular siege. For weeks in Sill
yer City, the seat of Grant county, the
bakers baked bread but once week, and
the common necessities of life reached
famine prices.
Such was the state of affairs when, on
the evening of August 18, the little com.
mand of twenty men from the Ninth
Cavalry, with which / had offered tc
serve as volunteer, rode into the mining
camp of Lake Valley to rest for a few
hours before taking up the trail of tn,
willy Mana. Lieutenant George w
Smith, veteran of the civil war and al
gallant a soldier as ever drew saber wa
in command.
There was very bad feeling existing
at the time between the citizens and tn
troops. The latter were denounced a
worse than useless, as not caring to fgh
the Indians, and as having well earnet
the sobriquet of buffalo" soldiers, whicl
old Victoria had bestowed upon them il
derision Of their futile attempts to van
quish him. Among the men aroun'
Lake Valley who shared this sentimen
to an absurd degree was George DAILY
Superintendent of the Lake Valley mine
an old Californian and Colorado miner
and a man of the most desperate cour
age. During the rest at Lake Valle
DAILY taunted Lieutenant Smith for no
pressing the Apaches strongly. Smit
explained that he had but twenty mer